Gig Watch: The Basics - Empress Hotel, Fitzroy
By
Sean Lynch
Visit The Basics Official Website
Click Here To Listen To Songs from The Basics latest EP
Riding the fine line between the past and the
present, retro and revoloutionary, it's a case of "all eyes on us"
whenever they take the stage. This is the skill of Melbourne three
piece The Basics.
They've stood face to face with legendary producer
George Martin, and their music has touched the iconic Abbey Road
studios. They have friends in Paul Kelly and The Cat Empire, while
their drummer and lead singer's (Wally De Backer) solo career at Gotye has earned him an Aria nod for 'Best Independent Artist'. But why haven't you heard of them yet?
They have been absolutely blasting their way
through pretty much every live venue in Melbourne for the past few
years, and just by looking into the crowd, you'll notice that they have
something special going.
Making my way on a cold Thursday night to the Empress Hotel, one of the most traditional 'Corner Local Pubs' I've seen since A Country Practice,
I was nothing short of a little excited. The Basics had played the last
month or so here, shows which I always managed to miss, and several of
my friends had been harping on about "this awesome live band". Over the
course of about a month, I would rather regularly check in on their
MySpace page, which supplied me with one of the catchiest and most
endearingly fun loving pop ditties I've heard in a long time Just Hold On.
I challenge anyone with a functioning pair of ears
and even the most minimalistic interest in music to avoid humming this
tune less than a day after hearing it. It's simple, it's complex - but
most importantly - it's just a fun song.
Waiting until just after midnight for the boys to
take the stage, I think we can safely assume grumpiness had started to
set in. But I was determined to enjoy what had been promised to me as
"A friggin good gig". And I wasn't disappointed.
It's the perfect blend of Beatles with the subtle
hints of mod-rock. Their on stage banter was relatively inclusive,
while their actual performance was so superbly tight. It's a very rare
thing to see a band who execute their songs so perfectly live, it
really was a pleasure. From Just Hold On to the 60's inspired Rattle My Chain, The Basics just kept on upping the ante.
De Backer, without doubt, is one of the most
talented musicians going around the music circuit at the moment. Not
only is he a mad man on the drums, his vocals are second to
none...making them first. I couldn't get over the crisp clarity of his
vocals - especially considering he was beating those drums like a
monkey on speed. His side solo project, Gotye, has also started to make
waves - so perhaps that will be the spark the boys need to make their
way into the public eye.
Overall, a fun - likable - traditional night at the pub gig. Certainly a band to keep an eye out for.
Set-List: 3 out of 5
When a band is new, it can be quite hard to win over a crowd with all
unfamiliar songs. Yet, there was something about The Basics which was
so familiar. Perhaps it was the Beatles factor, but every song seemed
like you'd loved it for 10 years. The final drum solo on Rattle My Chain was amazingly impressive - with De Backer having to have a bit of a lie down before the final encore.
Lighting & Visual: 3 out of 5
I know I should have, but for whatever reason - I've never actually
been to the Empress. I don't know why, it is after all, one of the few
pubs remaining with regular live bands playing. Something that the
Pokies have well and truly outlawed. It's cosy, retro and has a real
warmth to it.
The only problem seemed to be for the band, who
without having a backstage area, had to literally wait onstage before
going on with their encore. It was almost awkward. Other than that
though - great venue, great band.
Overall: 85%
The Basics are currently touring Australia, their latest EP is in stores now.
|
